History of MacArthur, Far East Air Forces

Balikpapan was the most important oil refinery complex in the Pacific during World War II. Located on the island of Borneo in what was then the Dutch East Indies, one expert considered it “the most complete oil refinery outside the continental limits of the United States.” Intelligence estimates rated it capable of supplying 80 percent of the Japanese naval air arm’s need for high-octane aviation fuel, though in reality that figure was likely much lower. Nevertheless, Balikpapan was as important to Japan as Ploesti was to Nazi Germany. This made it an important target for Allied planners, who set it in their crosshairs in 1942.